A blog hop with a difference!

I was flattered to be asked by Pritesh to be part of her blog hop, originally started by Hussena. 

I love Pritesh's infectious enthusiasm for paper crafts and the ideas that flare up between us all. She shares many tutorials on her blog and I can tell we're cut from the same Type A cloth. Her work is precise, and varies widely from a tiny ornately detailed piece of jewelry to a staggering 5.5x3 foot panel – all from quilling paper. She'll analyze a paper challenge using her chemistry background, then present her lab results and findings so we all learn and grow alongside her.

And now, on to the Q&A of this blog hop:


1. What am I working on? 

My love of paper is focused on two genres, quilling and die cutting, and am most intrigued when both those worlds collide.

In quilling, I am working on a series tutorials for letter/alphabet/monogram projects and plan to progress from easy to advanced projects. Stay tuned for more!

  

In die cutting, I'm currently debating between more (left) or less (right) details within a dragonfly's wings.

I am also trying to mimic quilling by cutting my wings in that style, but it doesn't always work well because the details are so intricate – but when there's a will, there's a way and I'm sure I'll figure it out if I keep trying.

2. How does my work differ from others of its genre?
My quilling tends to be very airy and open. I initially went down this path to be frugal with my supplies because it was difficult to buy locally. I started to enjoy this minimalist look and found it to be more expressive with less strips.

Although I enjoyed origami as a child, I preferred making things that were not only decorative but also served a purpose. With my die cutting, I strive to make designs that fold well with minimum effort, with the least glue or cutting needed. My Halloween coffins are my highest achievement of this because the coffins fold together with great strength, without the aid of glue. My desk looked like a cemetery with months of partial attempts.

In some ways I find myself avoiding using more strips or glue because I shy away from more work - in essence being lazy. My co-worker said "The laziest people in the world are the most efficient people in the world because they find ways to get the same work done with less effort." So I'm not lazy, I'm just efficient!


3. Why do I write/create what I do?

It's an itch. I have to scratch at that idea, drawing it out on paper and then watch it come to life before my eyes. I sit there stunned it looks just like imagined – or I sit there and wonder where it went so wrong? If I don't scratch the itch, it'll persist and give me no relief until I try it out. It also gives my fingers and mind freedom to play. It's all a type of playing, free as a child who forgets to eat or put on a jacket. I never want to lose that wonder of discovery and trying.

This invite is a combo of die cutting and quilling. I deliberately did not glue down quilling strips fully, allowing their playfulness in the mid-air express themselves in the shadows.

4. How does your writing/creating process work?

When I saw a beautiful poppy photo, I was immediately drawn to its lines, tonal values, and expression just by being there as itself. I wondered if I could recreate that beauty with just paper and have it express the same beauty but in a different way. After sketching out the image, I imagined how to make it out of the paper I have and start to amass the colors and materials, placing them side by side to assess how well they go together.

After cutting the necessary elements, I experimented with the shaping and coiling of each element before gluing permanently. There are times mid-way through the process I feel like I'm working on a gangly, pimply teenager who is at an awkward phase but shows promise. I push through that doubt because it's simply faster to finish it rather than deal with how I'll feel if I don't find out how it ends, even if I'm not pleased with the final result.

I would say 75% of the time, my final result comes out as I imagined, and I feel the planets lined up and the world is turning as it should. It's a feeling of complete satisfaction, even if it's something as small as figuring out paper pollen can be made from a cheese grater. When it turns out the other 25%, my poor hubby has to console me and remind me I'm only human and to give it another try.

This is the part of the blog hop where I'm supposed to list two other quilling bloggers that readers could hop along to. I asked several of my peer group, but my timing seems to be quite off because they all happen to be fulfilling commitments already and had to respectfully decline. So rather than list quillers you likely know, I'm going to list some blogs/podcasts I follow for reasons other than quilling. Although these topics don't relate to quilling specifically, I have found listening to podcasts while commuting or working to be a source of camaraderie and growth.

I currently work full time as a graphic designer and wonder if a career working with paper is possible. It seems dreams can become reality following the wonderful tips and insights of Abby Glassenberg, While She Naps. Abby sews toys and is quite a pioneering voice when it comes to issues like copyrights or other challenges crafters are facing. I value her opinion greatly and am learning how to improve myself in so many ways.

Another podcast I enjoy is by Monica Lee of Smart Creative Women. She delves into the stories of many creative women who follow their passion and share what they've learned along the way.

Thank you for reading about my work and process. I love reading all your comments and gain much inspiration to keep realizing my hopes. I hope you'll enjoy the two innovators above as much as I do!

Cecelia